Jorge De La Rosa says he plans to stay focused on his performance this season and not worry about a contract extension after it. He says the Rockies “have been good to me, and my goal is help them win again.”

Jorge De La Rosa had endured the previous 22 months through gnashed teeth, rolled eyes and foot stomps. As the unquestioned leader of the Rockies’ rotation, he knew last March 9 there was no getting around it. He had to trust his surgically repaired elbow, which left one thing to do: Throw his curveball and slider with conviction.

De La Rosa has been breaking bad in a good way ever since that three-inning outing against the Kansas City Royals at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz. The outing catapulted him to the best season of his career (16-6, 3.49 ERA), brightening his future and leaving him more equipped to deal with challenges and his contract uncertainty.

“I have a lot more confidence right now than this time a year ago. I don’t feel pain anywhere. It’s huge. I am stronger,” De La Rosa said last week after his fourth side session at the Rockies’ spring training complex. “I plan on being even better and getting us to the playoffs. We have more talent than we did in 2009. I believe in this team.”

De La Rosa is a quiet leader. He has lived through long hours of rehab and yearns to be part of the postseason. He missed the 2009 playoffs because of injuries.

For this year’s group to contend, De La Rosa must serve as the rotation’s rudder as he enters the final year of his contract. Though the Rockies won only 74 games last season, De La Rosa was among the National League’s most dependable starters, despite dealing with a bruised left thumb over his final 16 starts. His 2.76 ERA was the lowest season mark for a starter at Coors Field. The team was 21-9 in his starts, and he went 10-0 after Rockies losses, the best mark in baseball. The De La Rosa- Jhoulys Chacin-Tyler Chatwood trio posted a 38-21 record with a 3.40 ERA, providing the lighthouse in the storm.

“All three of those guys had very good seasons,” said manager Walt Weiss. “I think in Jhoulys’ and De La Rosa’s case, they had two of the better seasons ever for Rockies pitchers. When you take it all into consideration, it’s tough to say that De La Rosa is going to repeat what he did, because it was a phenomenal season statistically. But he took a huge step forward, and has experience.”

At 32, De La Rosa has matured. He’s a husband and father. And because of injuries, he’s heavy in perspective. The Rockies haven’t approached De La Rosa’s agent about a contract extension. He refuses to let it become an issue. He will make $11 million this season, second-highest on the club behind Troy Tulowitzki, and believes there’s still a chance he will remain in Denver after this year.

“I will stay focused, I promise you that. I won’t think about it. If they want to talk about contract, OK. If not, that’s OK too,” De La Rosa said. “I will do my job and win the most games I can. You know how much I love this team. They have been good to me, and my goal is help them win again.”

Pain has been a staple in De La Rosa’s life the past two years, and he was forced to confront it again a week ago as his mother, Juana, died of cancer. Words halting, De La Rosa said she will be a motivating force in his 2014 season.

“She had a tumor removed (in November) and was feeling better. Then she got sick again,” he said. “It happened so quickly, it was a shock. She was so strong. She will always be in my heart.”

Lefty is all right

Last year, Jorge De La Rosa quietly put together one of the best seasons by a starting pitcher in Rockies history. A look at his most impressive numbers:

• 1.92 ERA in day games, best in NL in 2013

• 10-0 after team losses, best in baseball in 2013

• 10-1 with a 2.76 ERA at Coors Field in 2013, the lowest season mark by a Rockies starter

Troy is a former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role ahead of the 2015 season. He left The Post in 2015.

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